Top Tips for the Best Safari Holiday

The best safari holiday is only the best if it suits you and that is why we create bespoke itineraries for all of our clients. But how will we know what your perfect fit is? Below are some tips on what to ask us and what information to include when you enquire. Knowing these things can really help define what is best for you and your family and friends.

Glam luxury or barefoot luxury?

A luxury safari holiday doesn’t necessarily mean the same to everyone. For some luxury is a lodge with a spa, swimming pool and extensive wine list. For others, it is fly camping exclusively with your group and no others in sight. So when you talk to our safari experts make sure to tell them your expectations of luxury and what you want to find at your accommodation as we have the most incredible options for all tastes. If a spa and phone signal are essentials for you or ,conversely, star gazing and no signal mean luxury to you, let your travel expert know and they will select the best accommodations specifically for you.

What are your wildlife expectations?

 Everyone goes on safari for the wildlife of course, but did you know that specific countries, regions, landscapes and National Parks can vary widely in their diversity of game? Seeing the Big 5 may be the only reason you want to go on safari and so by letting your travel expert know this they will be able to plan your trip in the most likely areas to see all of those animals. For others, they may be in search of a very specific wildlife experience such as following a migration, tracking turtles, finding an elusive species or concentrating on birding, in which case we can build a safari that will take you to very specific areas that will give you the best experience of seeing these animals.

Connections and travel between lodges

Most safari itineraries will involve staying at a few different locations. Travel between these accommodations can vary depending on the country and logistics. What is important to discuss is if, for example, you only want to connect by light aircraft or conversely if you’d rather travel by vehicle and experience more of the country on some of the shorter routes. Likewise if you have any specific travel needs for those connections such as mobility issues, we can always help to prepare everything you require to make your connection comfortable and suitable for you.

Food & beverage

Our partner lodges and camps are always selected for their exceptional food and beverage offerings and you will find that everyone can be easily catered too. It is important to us that we exceed your expectations and offer you the best of the best. What is important for your travel specialist to know is if you have any dietary requirements, allergies or preferences. We also love to know if you are a foodie and if that is something that would enhance your holiday as there are plenty of lodges who specialise in fine dining and exclusive wine lists. In remote lodges, we have personally catered to vegan diets, strict Kosher rules, gluten and dairy free allergies and everything in between and so know that everything is possible.

Activities

Your expectations of how active you would like your holiday to be are also extremely helpful in building you the best itinerary. Do you want to add in excursions? Do you need a lodge that has a gym? Do you want to just relax and take it easy? Understanding your hobbies and interests can help us offer you the best options so let us know if you are an adrenaline junkie who would love to swim at the top of Victoria Falls in the devil’s pool or if a massage in the afternoon is more up your street.

Private vehicles or shared vehicles

When on game drives there is usually the option to book a private game vehicle or a shared one, depending on the lodge. A shared vehicle means that you will be on your game drives with other guests from the accommodation which can be a lovely experience to meet you new people with a shared interest. Private vehicles can, however, offer several advantages and we would recommend them for the following guests. Clients who want to dictate the duration that you spend at a site. Some veteran safari goers could happily sit at a wild dog den for hours or photograph a tiny Malachite Kingfisher until they have the perfect shot; which is possible with a private vehicle where the guide will adapt to your preferences. Honeymooners looking for a romantic safari may also choose this exclusivity or those travelling with young children will find that a private vehicle gives them the adaptability to shorten a game drive if the little ones are becoming restless.

Use an experienced provider

A safari holiday is very different to booking a destination hotel online and turning up. There are many ground logistics involved in getting between destinations and organising guides for example as well as a multitude of unknown questions for an independent traveller. We highly recommend talking to our travel experts and booking through The Safari Edit as between our team we have extensive first hand experience from operating and managing safari lodges, staying in our partner lodges, working with in country ground handlers and building individual bespoke safaris tailored to specific client desires. We are here to answer all of your questions before, during and after your holiday.

Get in touch with us now to speak to our senior travel expert and start looking forward to your future safari trip today!

Take a look at the Inspiration Page on our website or check out our Instagram to get an idea of what you may want your holiday to look like.